Greetings in 3400 Languages

A greeting is a starting point. It is a way to initiate a conversation, to acknowledge a friend, or to meet someone new. It is also often one of the first things people want to learn when they begin learning a foreign language. This website is likewise a starting point intended to initiate conversations, acknowledge the linguistic diversity of the world, introduce people to new languages they may not have encountered before, and promote further language learning.

At this site you can learn how to say greetings (equivalent to "hello", "how are you?", "welcome", "good morning", and other forms of greeting) in thousands of different languages and dialects. This is the updated version of the website found at http://users.elite.net/runner/jennifers, which I am no longer updating. The purpose of this list is to promote intercultural communication and understanding, and to increase awareness of the linguistic diversity around the world. My goal is to include every language, so that people will be able to stay at least a few words to anyone they meet, anywhere in the world. Some of the translations on this site come from resources not available online, or resources not available in English; therefore, an additional purpose of this site is to make those translations available online to an English-speaking audience.

Ethnologue, 24th Edition lists 7,139 languages spoken in the world. Approximately 47% percent of these languages are included on this website as of November 2021 (3,400 languages). This page contains languages that begin with the letter X; there are 11 languages on this page. Please use the links at the top to find languages that begin with each letter of the alphabet, or use the search icon at the top of any page (or click here) to search for a language name, country name, or greeting.

If you have any corrections or additions to this site, or for information about use of the materials found on this site, please contact me using the email address at the bottom of the page.

Xaasongaxango [kao] (Mali and Senegal.)

I sooma (general greeting)

I nin sooma (general greeting)

Alu nin sooma (general greeting spoken to a group)

I nin sege (greeting spoken to a person who has been working; "you and your weariness")

Alu nin sege (greeting spoken to a group who has been working)

Xakriabá [xkr] (Brazil: Minas Gerais.)

Ha'biank (morning greeting)

Haimbiank (morning greeting)

Haithand (afternoon greeting)
Haimponot (nighttime greeting)

Haimpainot (nighttime greeting)

|Xam [xam] (South Africa.)

!Gau-e kke (morning greeting)

!Gau-e tuken kke (reply to !Gau-e kke)

!Gau-e kke kan o (morning greeting spoken to one man)

!Gau-e kke kan gu we (morning greeting spoken to a group of men)

||Kuonna kke (midday greeting)

||Kuonna tuken kke (reply to ||Kuonna kke)

!Kui kke (afternoon greeting)

!Kui tuken kke (reply to !Kui kke)

!Kui ||xa kke (afternoon greeting)

Kkuerre kkuerre kke (evening greeting)

Kkuerre kkuerre tuken kke (reply to Kkuerre kkuerre kke)

Ga kke (nighttime greeting)

Ga tuken kke (reply to Ga kke)

!ae (general greeting in a 19th century dialect)

Oa to (general greeting in a 19th century dialect)

|abe (general greeting in a19th century dialect)

||kaishi ge (greeting spoken when meeting someone, in 19th century dialect)

A ty ≠ke |hau (greeting spoken to a person who arrives on foot, in a 19th century dialect)

||gā (general daytime greeting in a 19th century dialect)

|guma (early morning greeting used before sunrise in a 19th century dialect)

Kwebbe (morning greeting used after sunrise in a 19th century dialect)

||nīŋ (evening greeting in a 19th century dialect)

≠kensi ||k"um (nighttime greeting in a 19th century dialect)

Ga ||kaba la? (how are you, literally "how do you stand?" in a 19th century dialect)

Axa te:n far di:ka? (how are you? in a 19th century dialect)

N fara /tswi \||oa llẽ (reply to Axa te:n far di:ka in a 19th century dialect; "I am well, in God's name")

Xârâcùù [ane] (New Caledonia.)

Bosu (general greeting)

Xairéké? (how are you?)

Ke fè tii? (where are you going?)

Xavánte [xav] (Brazil: Mato Grosso.)

E rowẽ di (general greeting)

Ĩhe, rowẽ di (reply to E rowẽ di)

Rowa'awê (morning greeting)

Abdzumawê (midday greeting)

Höiwahöwê (afternoon greeting)
Marawê (nighttime greeting)

E momo te aimo? (greeting spoken to a person who is going somewhere, literally "where are you going?")

Xetá [xet] (Brazil: Paraná.)

Entxeiwi (general greeting)

Xhosa [xho] (South Africa and Lesotho.)

Molo (general greeting spoken to one person)

Molweni (general greeting spoken to a group of people)

Kunjani? (how are you? spoken to one person)

Unjani? (how are you? spoken to one person)

Ndiphilile (reply to Kunjani and Unjani)

Ndisaphila (reply to Kunjani and Unjani)

Ndiyaphila (reply to Kunjani and Unjani)

Ninjani? (how are you? spoken to a group of people)

Siphilile (reply to Ninjani)

Siyaphila (reply to Ninjani)

Namkelekile (welcome greeting)

Siya namkela nonke (welcome greeting)

Xibe [sjo] (China: Xinjiang Ugyhur Autonomous Region.)

ᠪᠠᡳᡨᠠᡴᡡ ᠨᠠ (baitakv na: how are you?)

ᡥᠣᠵᠣ ᠨᠠ (hoju na: how are you?)

ᠰᠢ ᡥᠣᠵᠣ ᠨᠠ (si hoju na: how are you?)

ᠰᠢ ᠰᠠᠶᠥᠨ (si saiyvn: how are you?)

ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ (sayin: reply to ᠰᠢ ᠰᠠᠶᠥᠨ)

ᠰᠠᠶᠥᠨ (saiyvn: reply to ᠰᠢ ᠰᠠᠶᠥᠨ)

Xinca [xin] (Guatemala.)

Antarti a na mento (formal greeting)

Antarti a na mento t'zimahahli (formal greeting to a group of people)

Tarti a na mento (formal greeting)

Ansamaj antarti mento (formal greeting)

Mento (general greeting)

Mento tata (general greeting spoken to a man)

Mento nana (general greeting spoken to a woman)

Tay nana (general greeting spoken to a woman)

Xanki pa'ri (morning greeting)

Xanki na'wu (afternoon greeting)

Xanki sümah (nighttime greeting)

Xani yanak? (how are you?, informal)

Xani yanaka? (how are you?, formal)

Hurum num (reply to Xani yanak and Xani yanaka)

Hapay humaray (welcome greeting, "come in")

Xawuya (welcome greeting, "have a seat")

Xima nimaqui con Dios (morning greeting in a 19th century dialect from Jalapa)

Xima nuoiguai con Dios (nighttime greeting in a 19th century dialect from Jalapa)

Xima coy canay sal parri? (how are you? in a 19th century dialect from Chiquimulilla)

Nensu (reply to Xima coy canay sal parri in a 19th century dialect from Chiquimulilla)

Muy huastaya (welcome greeting in a 19th century dialect from Chiquimulilla, "come in")

Muy casunuya (welcome greeting in a 19th century dialect from Chiquimulilla, "have a seat")

Xiri [xii] (South Africa. Namibia)

Amtis ka fara? (how are you?)

Amtis xa fara? (how are you?)

Amtis ka na di? (how are you?)

Amti ka ʔ na khãĩ? (how are you?)

^tabete (general greeting in the Eastern Cape Khoekhoe dialect of the 18th century)

^tkwamoutsi (morning greeting in the Eastern Cape Khoekhoe dialect of the 18th century)

^tskormoutsti (evening greeting in the Eastern Cape Khoekhoe dialect of the 18th century)

'Za am 'li he sats? (how are you? in the Eastern Cape Khoekhoe dialect of the 18th century)

Tiri 'kai (reply to 'Za am 'li he sats)

Xokleng [xok] (Brazil: Santa Catarina State)

Há mã já? (how are you? spoken to a person who is standing)

Há nũ jã (reply to Há mã já)

Há mã nẽ? (how are you? spoken to a person who is sitting)

Há nũ nẽ (reply to Há mã nẽ)

Há mã nõ? (how are you? spoken to a person who is lying down)

Há nũ nõ (reply to Há mã nõ)

Hã tá a katẽg nũ vã? (where are you coming from?)

Hã ló a tẽg nũ vã? (where are you going?)

Xukurú [xoo] (Brazil.)

Břemen (morning greeting)

Ilareném (afternoon greeting)

Iareném (afternoon greeting)

Tataremen (nighttime greeting)

Ákàk'áumà? (how are you?)

Íkáká (reply to Ákàk'áumà)

Copyright information

The collections of translations and the graphics at this site are Copyright © 1995-2021 by Jennifer Runner. Just like the words you find in a dictionary or phrase book, the individual words listed here are intended to be used freely and are not copyrighted, but (like a dictionary or phrase book) the complete lists themselves are the result of years of work and are protected by copyright. Use of the information for non-profit educational use is encouraged; please give credit to the source (Jennifer's Language Page). Please e-mail me at jrunner5@yahoo.com if you have questions about use of material on this site.